There is probably no weapon in modern use which can boast a more ancient and distinguished lineage than the bow, and so slight is the change it has undergone during its lengthened career, that the bow of the present day is in no-wise—save in strength and finish—dissimilar to the more deadly instrument of far-off times. In dealing with the history of Archery as relating only to women, a volume might be filled with the stories of the marvellous military exploits of the warlike ladies who lived in the East.

But leaving these and coming to medieval times we are told of a stirring incident, during the plundering of a village in Usbec Tartary, by some soldiers belonging to the Emperor Aurunzebe's army. An old woman warned the plunderers to desist, threatening them with the vengeance of her daughter should they continue. Her words having no effect the marauders collected their prisoners and booty and were retiring when a damsel rode up carrying bow and arrows and mounted on a warlike steed. She boldly summoned the soldiers to release their prisoners and return their plunder, and promised that if they did so their lives should be spared. Finding that no attention was paid to her, she then raised her bow and shooting three or four arrows, emptied a corresponding number of saddles among the enemy. In return the soldiers attempted to shoot her, but finding that their weak Indian weapons were not equal to her Tartar one, and that their numbers were being lessened by her incessant shower of arrows, the veracious historian tells us they released their captives, too late, however, for their own safety, as those who did not fall to her arrows were put to death by the sword. Truly a remarkable episode.

In Dr. Southey's History of the Cid, it is stated that Clorinda, a Moorish Queen, "was so skilful in drawing the Turkish bow, that it was held as a marvel," and it is said that they called her in Arabic, Nugneymat Turga, which is to say, "Star of the Archers."

Hansard, in the Book of Archery, writes of the Persian beauties of the Harem, who were permitted to amuse themselves with Archery. These oriental bow meetings he says, "take place within the recesses of the Royal Gardens where, their black-bearded tyrant and a bevy of female attendants excepted, no spectators are allowed to be present. The butts consist of moistened sand enclosed in a wooden frame, and beaten into a hard compact mass. These are set up in a slanting direction at the boundary of some verdant alley, where the over-hanging branches of vine and orange tree exclude the fierceness of an Eastern Sun. Consistent with that gorgeous taste so prevalent throughout the East, the whole exterior of this butt is covered with elegant scroll work and patterns of flowers. Gold and silver intermingled with various pigments of the most brilliant hues, are lavishly employed to produce this effect. A female Abyssinian slave stands beside the mark, provided with a large round pebble, to form and preserve an unbroken hollow in the centre, and at this cavity every arrow is directed. She repeats the operation several times whilst her mistresses are shooting: for the triumph of Persian archery consists not merely in a central shot, but also in making the arrow penetrate deeply into the sand at every discharge."

Still more striking are the words of a French traveller named Gentil, who speaks of a race of Amazons, seen by him in the retinue of an Indian Prince. They were about a hundred in number, were well paid, lived in the Palace, and accompanied the Prince when he hunted, or formed his body guard in time of war.

There are Prints and Records dating from the fourteenth century, which show the fondness of the English women for sports. We find them in the field with the men, sometimes taking part in shooting at the animals as they were driven past them, and proving themselves no mean markswomen. They are said often to have conducted a hunt entirely by themselves, "winding the horn, rousing the game," and following it without any help from the opposite sex. Strutt tells us that on these occasions, some of them went so far as to wear divided skirts and sit their horses like men, but we do not hear that the fashion became general.

John Yonge, Somerset Herald, who attended Margaret Tudor, the daughter of Henry VII., on her journey to Scotland for her marriage to James IV., states under the date Alnwick, 27th July, 1503: "Two mylle from the sayd place, the sayd Erle (Northumberland) cam and mett hyr well accompayned, and brought hyr thorough hys park, when she kylde a Buk with hyr bow."

In Sir II. Nicolas' Household Expenses of Henry VIII. we find these entries:

May, 1530. Itm the same day paid to Scawsely for bowys, arrowys, shafts, brode hedds, bracer, and shooting glove for my Lady Anne xxxiijs iijd.

June. Itm the same daye paied to the King's Bowyer for iiij bowes for my ladye Anne at iiijs iiijd, a pece xxiiijs iiijd.

June, 1537. Itm payed to Charles Morley for Bowes, Arowes, a qwyver, wt other thinge for my lade g'ce xijs xd.

These show us that archery was among the Royal amusements of this time. Elizabeth is said to have been extremely fond of hunting, and to have been expert with her bow. Roger Ascham, a great lover of archery who wrote the first treatise on the pastime, and after whom the long cupboards so well known to every archer are named, was Elizabeth's tutor, though whether he initiated her in the mysteries of the art is not known, but certain it is that during this Queen's reign archery was a popular pastime among the ladies of the Court.

When Elizabeth was being entertained by Lord Montecute at Cowdray, in Sussex, it is stated in Nicol's Progresses that "On Munday at eight of the clock in the morning her Highnes tooke horse and rode into the parke, where was a delicate bowre prepared under the which were her Highnesse musicians placed, and a crossebowe by a Nymph with a sweet song, delivered to her hands, to shoot at the deere, about some thirtie in number, put into a paddock, of which number she killed three or four, and the Countesse of Kildare one. Aug. 18th, 1591."

It is stated on this occasion, that the Queen was surpassed in skill with the bow by her favourite Lady Desmond, the latter, however, courtierlike, avoided giving her mistress any cause for jealousy, by judiciously missing her quarry occasionally. Again Robert Cary, Earl of Monmouth, speaking of events which happened in 1596 says "the Queen came to dinner to Enfield House, and had butts set upon the park to shoot at marks after dinner."[5]

Lady Berkeley is said to have "used the longbow, and was in those days, among her servants, so good an archer at the butts, that her side by her was not the weaker, whoes bowes, arrowes, gloves, braces, scarfe, and other ladylike accomodation, I have seen and heard herself speak of them in her elder year."[6]

Lady Shrewsbury also was an adept in the use of the bow, as we find Sir F. Leake writes to her husband: "My right honourable goode Lorde,—Your Lordeshyppe hath sent me a verie greatte and fatte stagge, the welcomer beynge stryken by your ryght honorable Ladie's hande; I trust by the grace of God, he shall be meanlie eaten at thes assizes, when your Lordeshyppe and my ladie shall be often remembered. My bold bucke lyves styll to wayte upon your Lordeshyppe and my Ladie's comyng hyther; howbeit I knoe her Ladishipp takes pitie of my bucke sense the last tyme yt pleases her to take the travell to shote att them. I am afrÆyde that my honourable Ladies Alathea and my Ladie Cavendish will commande their aroe heades to be verie sharpe: yett I charitablÉ trust that such good Ladies wyt be pittifull." (1605).

From this time until the revival of archery at the end of the last century, its practice among women appears to have been gradually abandoned.

The first Archery Society to be established in 1781 was the Royal Toxophilite, but this consisted only of men. Shortly afterwards many other societies were started, among them in 1787 the Royal British Bowmen, and to them belongs the honour of being the first to admit ladies as members, and very sociable, pleasant gatherings they seem to have had. Other societies soon followed this good example, some admitted ladies as members, and some like the Woodmen of Arden only as guests. The assemblies at Meriden are still held every year, the old customs being strictly kept up.

Women were not slow to appreciate the gracefulness of archery, and it soon became a fashionable amusement, the Lady Salisbury of the time being one of its most ardent supporters. Most of the societies adopted a distinctive dress, in which white and green predominated. The Royal British Bowmen adorned their Lady Patroness with a white feather in her hat, the other lady members being compelled to wear black ones, while their dresses were green with pink vandykes round the edge of skirt. The Harley Bush Bowmen were so fond of the distinctive colour, that they even had green boots, and it is pleasant to know that it was provided by the rules these should be "easy fitting!"

Archery was taken up very strongly in the closing years of the last century, and of the doings of this period many interesting particulars are to be found in the collections of Miss Bank Banks, daughter of Sir Joseph Banks, which are in the British Museum. They give descriptions of the various meetings, the balls given by the different societies at which both ladies and gentlemen appeared in uniform, and one of the anecdotes given may be worth quoting, as, if authentic, it shows greater success with the bow than has been achieved by any woman in modern times. "A match was shot at one hundred yards between Mr. Gilpin, Mr. Wyburgh, and Miss Littledale, in which the last was victorious: during the shooting, which lasted three hours, Miss Littledale hit the gold four times, and, what evinces superior skill, the three last hits made by Miss Littledale were in the gold."

Though archery was taken up so warmly, it died out a few years later, in consequence of the war, and it was not again taken up until the final conclusion of peace, in 1815, when it was revived. Many new societies were started and old ones restored, and from this time it has continued to flourish, not only in England but in many other parts of the world, notably in the United States of America, the Mauritius, and at Melbourne. Space prevents my mentioning these at length.

Besides these societies, which hold prize meetings at intervals, there are five public meetings in the year, beginning with the Leamington and Midland Counties' Meeting at Leamington, in June, where the Championships of the Midland Counties are competed for. The Crystal Palace Meeting follows, at which the Southern Counties' Championships are shot for in July. The Grand National Meeting, where the Championships of All England are shot for, and the Grand Western Archery Meeting, at which the Championships of the West are awarded, come next, either meeting being occasionally held before the other. The Grand Northern Meeting for the Northern Counties' Championships is usually the last held. These three meetings are held in a different place each year, to encourage archery in local clubs. At the Grand National, in addition to the prizes, badges and medals are given, and it is a great joy to the young archeress to get her first "spider," which is a little brooch in form of a target with three arrows placed through it.

If you wish to compete at a public meeting you pay a subscription—unless you are an annual subscriber to that particular society—and a target entrance fee, besides which each archer subscribes sixpence a day, for the payment of the target boys. There are usually five or six competitors at each target, No. 3 is the captain or scorer, who has to keep order, instruct the boys how to pull the arrows out of the ground, and see that the judge comes to measure golds, etc. She is assisted in adding up and checking the scores at the target by No. 4, the lieutenant.

The first Grand National Meeting was held in 1844 but no ladies shot, and it was not until 1849 that the Double National Round was first shot by ladies, so that it is only possible to compare the shooting subsequent to this date. On this occasion the highest score (189) was made by Miss Temple, two years later Miss Villiers making 504 with 108 hits, the second score being only 293. The number of 600 was first reached by a lady in 1857, when Miss H. Chetwynd made 634, and this score remained unbeaten till Mrs. Horniblow scored 660, which in its turn was surpassed two years later by Miss Betham with 693.

It was not until 1870, at Bath, that 700 was attained, that score being made by Mrs. Horniblow. Mrs. W. Butt added 52 to this record in 1876, and this remained the top score until 1881, when Miss Legh made 763. The highest score made by any lady at any Grand National was Mrs. Bowly's 823 in 1894. Miss Legh's 866 at Leamington, in 1895, being the highest ever made by a lady at a public meeting, though perhaps the same shooter's score at Bath, in 1881, of 840, was an even better performance, as no arrow was dropped on either of the first two days, and only one on the third.

It will thus be seen what a great improvement has taken place in shooting during the last fifty years.

Beatrice P. M. Walrond.

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